Bullets fly at Housewives’ Market robbery

TWO local detectives were caught in crossfire and narrowly escaped serious injury on Friday, 13 June when robbers stormed the Housewives’ Market in North Coast Road.

At 8.45am on Friday the Greenwood Park SAPS detectives’ branch, which is situated in the same shopping centre as the Housewives’ Market, were notified of a robbery at the popular fresh produce market.

Cap Clifford Nicholson, from the detectives’ branch, said the robbers, who arrived at the centre in two cars, cornered off both ends of the centre with their cars.

“We heard that witnesses saw the robbers, who were armed with high caliber weapons, enter the market,” said Lt Elvis Naidoo, spokesman for the Greenwood Park Police Station.

“I shouted at the detectives in the office that the market was being robbed. So with the detectives in tow, myself and Cap Abigail Oosthuizen leading the pack, we responded to the robbery,” Cap Nicholson added.

As the two captains rounded the bed toward the market the robbers saw them and opened fire on the two policemen. One bullet grazed Cap Oosthuizen’s head as they dived for cover behind their neighbouring company’s vans.

“Everytime Cap Oosthuizen and I tried to approach the robbers they would open fire on us. I saw a yellow Toyota with two armed men inside shooting at us and was wondering why they weren’t fleeing the scene. In the meantime the occupants of the Toyota had informed their accomplices that there were police officers on scene. A white Volkswagen Golf, with about four or five armed men, joined their accomplices and continued shooting at us,” Cap Nicholson said.

The robbers continued shooting at the two captains as they were hiding behind the funeral service’s van on scene, but once their accomplices inside the market returned they made their escape.

“It is believed the robbers knew that the market was just about to bank their previous day’s money when the robbers stormed the market. Two woman, who work in the accounts office at the market, were assaulted by the robbers. The robbers stole R18 700 from the market, but no money was stolen from the tills,” Lt Naidoo added.

Policemen on scene calculated that more than 30 rounds were shot at the scene. No arrests have been made.